Station indication for radio receiving sets



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,550,744

w. s. REDFIELD STATIQI J INDICATION FUR RAUICRECEIVING SETS Filed Jan.1925 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNI-TED STATES PATENT oFricE.

STATION INDICATION FOB RAD IO RECEIVING SETS.

Application filed January 30, 1925. Serial No. 5,727.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VAL'roN S. REDFIELD, a citizenot' the UnitedStates, residing at .Providence,county of Providence, State of a llhodeIsland, has invented certain new and .useful Improvements in StationIndication i'or Radio Receiving Sets, of which the following is aspecification. 1 I

This invention relates to radio receiving apparatus, and particularly tothe convenient indication at the tuning controls of the freceiving setitself of the various sending stations within the range of thatparticular 1 set. I I

Ordinarily, the owner'of a radio receiv ing set keeps a log? of the wavelengths of the .various sending stations which he is able tohear on hisset, together with notations as to the points on his tuning dials atwhich he besthears each particular station.

This log usually takes the form of a book or card which, being whollyindependent of and separate from the, receiving set itself, is liable tobecome lost or misplaced, or not immediately at hand when wanted forreference. In using such a log, therefore, the operator first finds thelog itself, then finds init the adjustment data for the particularsending station which he wishes to tune in, and finally sets his tuningcontrols for those particular ad ustments. \Vhenever he wishes to tunein a different station, therefore. he has to repeat this process, andhence the log book must be kept constantly at hand and must berepeatedly referre to. This is both troublesome and time-consuming. andis avoided by my invention.

It has been proposed, heretofore, tosuppl v each tuning dial of thereceiving set on whii-lrthc log data could be penciled. It has also beenproposed to write the log data on a sheet of paper aiiixed to the panelboard of the set.

Neither of these methods of logging, however, wholly accuratelyestablishes the positions of the .station markings with reference totheadjustment of the tuning controls, and hence does not permit thatinstant refinement of tuning which is so essential to perfect reception.Moreover, with sets of'extensive range, only a comparatively few of themany stations capable of being heard On the set can be indicated, owingto with a disc of paper, celluloid, or the like,

limitations of space for log data. Incidentally,fwhere the markings arepenciled on the dial, they are apt to be rubbed bythe hand in adjustingthe dial and soon become blurred and illegible. Frequently also,

two or more stations send on the same, or substantially the same. wavelength, and where this occurs, it is practically impossible to visuallyindicate all of these stations without confusion of station markings.Furthermore, where station wave lengths are changed, erasure of existinglogdatafor the changed station or stations is necessary, with consequentlikelihood of spoiling the appearance of the entire log sheet.

To the end, therefore, of avoiding the several disadvantages abovepointed out, i have devised my present invention. According to it, Iprovide the panel of the reeei ing set adjacent each tuning control w tha relatively fixed station field which pref erably in the form of. aseries o'tstation aocating lines radially intercepting the path ofrotation of a station finding indicator carried by the tuning control,and so related thereto as to permit the position of any sending stationwithin the range of the set to be accurately determined and visuallyindicated on said field by means of a series of station markers whichmay be either permanently or adjust-ably afiixed on said field atthe'positions thus determined.

The markings of the station field interc'e t the path of rotation of theindicator of t 1e tuning control on lines having the axis of rotation ofsaid control as a center, and hence all possibility of inaccuratelylocating a sending station with reference to that particular control isavoided, since each station lies on or bet-ween the lines 01 radialintercept. The station markers themselves necessarily have physicaldimension, and while it'is possible to reduce their width somewhat bymaking them in the form of sector-shaped pieces corresponding in generaloutline to the radial intercepts of the station marking lines, I prefer,in addition, 'to provide each marker at its inner end with a match-markwith which the station-finding indicator of the tuning control can heregistercd, so as to give the maximum accuracy of adjustment.

The relatively fixed station field may be variously applied to thereceiving set. As,

here shown, said field is applied to the panel of the receiving seteither as a direct engravure or other form of permanent marking, or asaseparate sheet of cardboard, celluloid, metal, or the like, and theshaft of the tuning control which carries the statccarfindiug indicatoris utilized as a tom 0- i-ary mount for a template which is rotata leover said station field independently of the station-finding indicatorand is provided about its periphery with a series of variously-shapedopenings through which, the

match-marks of the underlying station markers on the station field areselectivelycxposable. By the use of the template, the station field andmarkers may be permanently engraved or otherwise afiixed on the panel ofthe receiving set when the set is assembled, and any variations instation positions com ensated for by the template, since the ad;indicator does not need to even closely proximate the selected stationmarker, station-finding indicator being moved towards the. selectedstation marker, and the template then rotated until the match-mark isexposed through one of its slots or openings, after which a line .isdrawn with pen, pencil, or stylus through the template slot from thematch-mark of the station marker to the point in the path of rotation ofthe station-finding indicator Where the bestreception for thatparticular station is had. -This arrangement, therefore, not onl permitsthe greatest possible refinement o tuning, reducing as it does thelimitation of the adjacent station markers to the width of the ink orpencil connecting line, but permits the eatest latitude in 10- ratingthe station mar ers on the field, since by the use of the template, itis immaterial how many degrees the station-finding indiqator may beromoved from registration with the particular station marker, providedthey are within the limits of one or a com-' bination of the variouslyshaped slots or openings of the template so that a connect-- 111g lineor lines may be drawn. In fact, where several stations lie closelyadjacent each other on the station field, acconnecting line for eachstation may be drawn in the same opening of the template and such linesmay even cross each other. The connecting lines may bedrawn-incontrasting colors se as to be readily distinguishable from eachother, and, if desired, the station markers themselves may be acontrasting color.

The method of practising my invention, together with suitableembodiments for carrylng out the principles involved, are described andillustrated in the accompanying specification and drawings, and thecharacteristic features of novelty are particularly pointed out in theappended claims. 'lhrougliout the specification and drawings,

ustment of the station-finding simply pointer rotatin% like referencecharacters are cori'espofidingly applied, and in the drawings Fig. '1 isface view of one of the tunin controls of a radio receiving set'equippefor station indication in accordance with my general concept, and

F Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of I have indicated at '1 aportion of the panel board of a radio receiving set of standard type,and at 2 the knurled knob of a tuning control, which is mounted on ashaft 3 journaled through the panel 1.

According to my general concept, I provide the panel 1 behind eachtuning control with a relatively fixed station field, which as hereshown comprises a'series of station 10- cating lines 4 intercepting thepath of rotation of the station-finding indicator of the tuning controlon'lines having'the axis of rotation 3 of said control as a center.

The station-finding indicator itself may be any device rotating with thetuning knob 2. 'Where the tuning control is provided with the usualgraduated dial 5,.as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this indicator may be anyselected graduation relatively half-way between the extremes ofreception of the control, as the graduation 50 on the dial shown, andfor convenience of recognition this graduation 50 may be visuallydifferentiated from the other graduations in any desired manner, as byapplying to it an arrow-head 6 (Fig. 1) or other distin ishing device.Obviously, however, a tea ing line could be scratched on the dial midwaybetween its extremes of reception if desired, and-used as astationfinding indicator, or in fact the dial could be wholly omittedand in its place a simple with the tuning knob 2 could be used. or thepurpose of this application, however, I have shown the station-findingindicator as carried by the dial itself, although it is to be understoodthat this showing is purely illustrative and in no way limiting.

s previously stated, the station locating .lines 5 of the station fieldradially intercept the arc of rotation of the station-finding indicator,and hence the sending stations within the range of that particular setlie on or between the lines of radial intercept, and may thus beaccurately located and their positions visuall indicated on the stationfield by any suitab e station markers applied directly thereto.

The station markers themselves are preferably sector-shaped pieces6 ofcardboard, celluloid, metal or thc like,'bearing'indicia descriptive of.the various stations within the range of the receiving set, as forexample, the code name and wave length of the station.

The station markers are applied to the station field in any desiredmanner. In

' come to a position removed from the selected station as can be shouldthe wavelength of a station be subsequentlychanged Although the shape of.the station mark- -e rs is such as to occupy the minimum spaceconsistent with proper legibility on the station. field, theynevertheless necessarily have some. physical widtln andinasmuch as itsometimes happens that a station will be heard with varying" degrees ofclarity in thezone covered by the marker, lfind expedient to provideeach marker with a.

match mark, indicated at '8, representing the pointat which thatparticular stat-ion willhe best heard. v fVhere the station field isengraved or otherwise permanently marked on the panel board, as innewly-assembled sets, the sta-.

tions within the range of the set may also bepermancntlymarked on thefield at something approximating their correct positions thereon forthat particular set, and variations in location compensated for by theuse of a peripherally slotted template 3) which is temporarily mountedon the shaft of the tuning control for rotation over the station fieldindependently of the rotation of the station-finding indicator. 7

As here shown the template 9 is loose on the shaft of the tuningcontrol, the dial in these figures carrying thestation-findingindicator, but the template may obviously lie-used withother forms of station-finding indicators, as for example, a simplepointe-rrotating with the shaft of the tuning knob, in which case thedial would be entirely omitted. The slots or openings at the peripheryof the template are. indicated at 10 and-are of various shapes andsizes.

'In using the template, the statii' n-finding indicator of the tuningcontrol is adjusted towards the selected stat on on the field which itis desired to tune in. This adjustment need be only a very rough one,and as a matter of fact the indicat r may of rest as many degreescovered by the longest slot or combination of slots of the slotseries10. The stat-ion is then connected up with the indicator position bydrawing a line or lines, designated at 11 in Fig. 1, from th center ormatch-mark of the selected station marker which will intercept the areof rotation of .ing of the template by simply drawing in thestationfinding indicator at the position of rest of said indicator, andhence in thereafter tuningin this particular station,'it is onlynecessary to register the stationfinding indicator with'the terminus ofsaid connecting-up line or lines 11. \Vhere two or more stations lieclosely adjacent each other on the stationfield, they may all beindicated through the same slot or openthe proper connecting-up lines,one for each station. These lines may be contrastinglycolored todistinguish them from each other, i

The template permits the positions of the station markers to be variedmany degrees on the station field, even to the extent of, crossingtheconnecting lines. Where the dial form of station-finding indicator isemplayed, graduations considerably finer than those now employed may beused. The principal advantage, however, of the template is that it makespossible the greatest refinement of tuning in that it practicallyreduces the limitation of adjacent/station markers. tot-he width of thepencilor ink lines 11 which are drawn in to connect up the stations withthe station-finding indi-- cator. f

\Vhere the receiving set is provided' with more than one tuning control,the station field 4, markers, and station-finding indicator areduplicated on the panel board behind each control.

Various other modifications in the method of and structures forpracticing my inven tion may obviously be resorted to, within the limitsof the appended claims.

.lVhat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Station indicating means for the tuning controls ofa radio receivingset, comprising a station-finding indicator adapted to rotate withtuning control'of the set, a relatively fixed station field applied tothe panel board 01'' the set behind each tuning control and comprising aspaced series of radial markings intercepting the path of rotation ofthe indicator on lines having the axis of rotation of the tuning controas a center, station markers applied to said field in proper positionalrelationship there-" on, each marker bearing indicia descriptive of yaparticular sending station and each having a match-mark disposed atsubstantially theintercept of the'radial markings with the path ofrotation of the station finding indicator and a template temporarilymounted on each tuning control to ro' tate over the station fieldindependently of the rotation of the statiorrfinding indicator for saidcontrol and having a, peripheral series of variously shaped openingsthrou h which the under ying match-marks of t to station markers areselectively exposable whereby to permit a connecting line to be torotate with each tunin set, .a relatively fixed station field applied.

drawn from the match-mark of each selected station-marker exposedthrough a template openingto the pointin the path of rotation of thestation-finding indicator at which that particular station is bestheard.I 1

2. Stat-ion indicating means for the tuning controls of a radioreceiving set, comprising a station-finding indicator adapted control ofthe to the pa'neL board of the set behind each tuning control, stationmarkers applied to said field in proper positional relationship thereon,each marker bearing indicia descriptive of a particular sending station.and' each having its inner end disposed to intercept the path ofrotation of the station-finding indicator and a template temporarilymouned on each tuning control to rotate over the station fieldindependen tly of the rotation of the station-finding indicator for saidcontrol and having a peripheral series of variously shaped openingsthrough which the inner ends of the station markers are selectivelyexposable whereby to permit a connecting line to be drawn from a point'on each selected station marker exposed through a template open- -ingto the poiht in the path of rotation of the station-finding indicator atwhich that particular station .is best heard.

3. Station indicating: means'for the tun- 4 tuning control of the set torotate temporarily mounted on each tuning control to rotate over thestation markersindependently of the rotation of the station-findingindicator for said dontrol and having a peripheral series of variouslyshaped openings through which the inner ends of thestation markers areselectively exposable whereby to permit a connecting line to be drawnfromthe-inn'er end of each selected station marker'ex osed throughthetemplate opening to tie point in the path of rotation of thestation-finding indicator at.

which that particular station is best heard.

ture.

WALTON s. REDFIELD.

In testimony whereof I allix my signa-

